Just a reminder for anyone who still thinks Boris is a lovable buffoon....

[beansprout]

When Blair visited Congo in 2002: "No doubt," he said, "the AK47s will fall silent and the pangas will stop their hacking of human flesh, and the tribal warriors will all break out in watermelon smiles to see the big white chief touch down in his big white British taxpayer-funded bird."

On Liverpool:
"A society that has become hooked on grief and likes to wallow in a sense of
vicarious victimhood."
· A Spectator editorial, 2004 (Johnson didn't write the editorial, but he approved it)

"Gay marriage can only ever be a ludicrous parody of the real thing."
· Daily Telegraph, 2005

"If gay marriage was OK - and I was uncertain on the issue - then I saw no reason in principle why a union should not be consecrated between three men, as well as two men; or indeed three men and a dog."
· From his book, Friends, Voters, Countrymen, 2001

margoandjerry,

the trouble with anti-semitism is that it is often not as obvious and clear as "saying something nasty about the jews". It can often be subtle and underlying, and sometimes taking a very strong stance about, for example, the plight of the Palestinians can mask other things. Not always, of course, but sometimes. I'm not sure 100% about Ken by any means, but some things he has said over the years have made me uneasy.

Well, then we're in all sorts of trouble Rosella.

These things are sometimes subtle I agree.

But think about Ken in the 80s. He was the first to talk to Sinn Fein. I hated him for that - but actually he was right. They are now legitimately in Govt and the bombing has stopped. Ken was seen as cosying up to terrorism then and I'm sure the protestants didn't have very nice things to say about him then but sometimes you have to do unpopular things to make progress. The UK Govt ended up following the same route hence the Good Friday Agreement.

I know what you are getting at and as I've said the Islamic extremists don't go down too well with me at all. But I think a loud and clear voice standing up for Palestine is a good thing.

Sorry, lots of points in there.

watch out - stand up for Palestine and you're an anti semite round here.

Interesting points margo.

I must admit I'm a bit biased because of my in-laws who are stereotypical leftie Liberal pro-Palestians but who are also, in particular MIL, very much anti semitic (and I don't mean anti Isreali). She will say things like they are an ugly race, usurers etc whilst proudly proclaiming herself an anti racist in all other respects.

Your Ireland point was quite interesting, as during one discussion with my MIL, while she was defending Palestian terrorism, I said to her "I didn't realise you supported the IRA then". Needless to say, as a Londoner with the bombs on her doorstep, she definitely considered the IRA to be terrorists rather than freedom fighters.

In an odd way, it is quite "impressive" (wrong word) that Ken was prepared to support terrorists so close to home. But I think the fact that the government was talking to the IRA for a long term secretly was only part of the picture. 9/11 and the transformation of the Irish economy have done just as much to put an end to the bombs. (Sorry to waffle on, but I'm quite interested in this as I went out to NI in the 80s as a teenager with my Catholic best friend and was the only Protestant amongst millions of Catholics and just loved the place despite the Troubles being in full swing).

I expect I will definitely have killed this thread now!!

No, not killed it. I am at your MIL.

And I agree re Ken. I don't think he really started the process, or even really helped it particularly. He just did the thing that other, more important people later had to do to get past all that horror.

Still at your MIL. Usurers? Who even understands that word these days?

I know. She's completely insane in all sorts of ways. She will quote Shakespeare (Shylock etc) and say they have been hated throughout history. She even plays down the importance of the Holocaust, saying Rwanda and other atrocities were much worse.

BTW Palestinians (previous post) . My spelling always goes out of the window when I get wound up and my MIL has a habit of making me feel wound up.

She sounds really mad. And who knew there was a competition of holocausts and only one "winner"?

Understand your concerns completely.

Well Said Policywonk! as usual - great sense from you.

I think that reaction to Ken having a go was totally precious. Ken is tactless sure, but so is bloody buffoon Boris.

Boris's massively elite background and specialised education has prepared him brilliantly to edit the Spectator and be a Tory MP representing the needs of the already rich. Oh, and also to be a TV Bore/Buffoon. (See his dreadful tv series on Rome was it? Bilge)

He's never run anything harder than a bath or a mistress or two.

Ken for all his faults has tons of experience. Problem is I think He and Gordon have simply been bloated by too much power for too long and need to wake up and smell the Cafe Latte!!!!

I don't see what was wrong with Boris' comments on homosexual "marriage", tbh.

Didn't vote for him though.

He seemed to be implying that bestiality and homosexuality were equivalent.

''marriage''

Yes, TDWP I used speech marks for the word marriage. Though it may be an unpopular view on MN and in the wider society, some of us still believe that marriage is a heterosexual union only and I for that matter, am of that opinion.

Whatever you say about Ken I think he actually CARES about London. I certainly don't get that impression from Boris - 'Mayor of London' just something else to put on the CV

Also as a pundit said this morning, who will run London now? Will it be run from Conservative Central Office as Boris's campaign was?
At least Red Ken was independent up to a point.
Also Boris's own friends are saying his brilliant and original but
Hates detail
Hates being criticised
Bores easily....

Faint praise from your mates eh?
A month without drinking and a bit of hard graft do not a Mayor make!

I think the OP's quote shows that the 'watermelon smiles' thing was Boris trying to highlight Blair's hypocrisy, not insult the Congolese. Although the phrasing was so clumsy he should have known better.